


The Ends (Don't) Justify The Means

by Fan_Galaxy



Category: Black Clover - Tabata Yuki (Anime & Manga)
Genre: A few of them are mentioned by name, Gen, and less the characters anyways tbh, but I'd feel Cheap tagging them, the point of this is more the phrase
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-01
Updated: 2020-05-01
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:54:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23947999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fan_Galaxy/pseuds/Fan_Galaxy
Summary: When Asta was little, he heard the phrase, 'the ends justify the means'.He thought, and thought, and thought about it.He decided he despised it.He hoped others did too.
Relationships: Asta & Black Bulls Ensemble, Asta & Yuno (Black Clover)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 75





	The Ends (Don't) Justify The Means

**Author's Note:**

> Sup boys!! So basically,,,,,,I got all up and metaphorical with a phrase and went Hella Feral. It ended up like 1.6k so I hope y'all like it!

'The ends justify the means'.

It's an odd little phrase, a little hard to understand if you don't take a moment to think about it. One of those phrases all children ask their parents about when they hear it.

Asta had known what it meant since he was little, though.

How couldn't he?

It fit the Kingdom's people so terribly, terribly well.

When Asta was about 10, maybe 11, he'd heard it in passing from a man. An unkind one, a thief who was clearly walking away from one of his most recent scenes, tossing an apple in his hand and chuckling quietly.

"Well, the ends justify the means, eh?"

That man was lucky Asta never saw him again.

But if nothing else, it got him thinking.

He'd sit for ages and just think and think and think on that one little phrase.

The ends justify the means. No.

No, they really don't.

Asta decided he disagreed with the phrase more than anything else he'd ever heard, for more reasons than he could count.

Because that was the phrase every high-ranking royal or noble seemed to live by.

Because some people steal from people who have even less than they do.

Because some people cut others down on their path to "greatness".

Because it was the antithesis of the promise him and Yuno made.

Because he _refused_ to let that phrase aid him on his path to becoming Wizard King.

Because the ends-your goal-should not justify the means-whatever things you may do to get there.

If your means need to be justified, then what is your end?

Nothing good. Nothing good at all.

But it struck him that this may be a bit of an epiphany to come to himself-or, in simpler terms, 'crap this is way too mature I need to see if the other kids are in on this'.

So Asta began to ask the others, adults and children alike; "Do you know what 'the ends justify the means' means?"

None of the children seemed to know, and none of them really understood when he tried to explain-his understanding is made up of metaphors and long, winding roads of symbolism to find the main point, so in the end, he couldn't blame them.

The adults wouldn't tell him, even though he knew, so he told them what he thought.

They always gave him these sad, pitious looks that said, 'you shouldn't know that yet'.

And yet, he does.

And yet, it feels right that he does.

And yet.

And yet.

One day, he even asked Yuno.

He merely shook his head. "No, I don't know. Why are you even asking?"

Asta sighed, swinging his legs off the side of the slight cliff they'd perched on. "I dunno...I've just. Been thinking about it lately, cause I feel like it's...important."

Yuno paused, before sighing heavily, like it was a burden to talk to Asta at all. (Even if the opposite was true-sometimes, it was amazing how emotionally mature Asta could be, even if he wasn't much otherwise.) "Well, then, since you seem so excited about it, what's it mean?"

Asta paused himself, his eyes tracking a bird as it flew by as he tried to explain.

About how it was like saying if there was a tunnel at the end of a road and you cut down all the trees to make it to it, and saying that was alright.

Like it was saying anything was ok, as long as it was to get to your goal, to the end of that tunnel.

He hated it. It was so, so wrong.

Any trace of a smile dropped from Asta's face-rare, but not impossible-as he glared into the distance.

"It's a terrible phrase, and I want people to realize that."

Yuno took a moment.

The antithesis of all they wanted, of all the righteous things they planned for on their path to their goal, their light at the end of the path, huh?

Yuno pulled on Asta's arm, folded with his other on top of his knee, until he could rest his hand on top of Asta's, and he nodded.

"We'll prove there's no means to be justified." Asta's eyes widened as Yuno turned to him, that rare smile pulling up his lips as gracefully as it always did. "That's why you asked me, right?"

He hadn't realized just yet, but yeah.

This was it.

So he smiled back-just as blind and sunny as ever, Yuno noted as his own softened even further-and nodded. "Yeah!" His gaze found the setting sun as his smile widened even more. "We'll teach the world there's no means to be justified…"

They held their hands up together. "And I'll become Wizard King!"

Their usual playful banter danced through the air as the sun set, laughter from children playing below highlighting the newfound peace.

They added this concept to their little pack of 'things to be achieved', and carried on along their journey.

Years later, ages past those childhood days and what felt like centuries and yet only a day's worth of insane, thrill seeking adventures in the Magic Knights, Asta was reminded.

His thoughts drifted to the Elves.

Their end was to get revenge. Their means were…

Killing all humans.

Yet another instance to mark down where that terrible phrase was amazingly wrong.

And now that Asta had been reminded, he was thinking of it again.

So he guessed it couldn't hurt to ask the Bulls like he used to ask everyone he could find;

"What do you all think the phrase, 'the ends justify the means' means to this kingdom?"

And he asked it with pure curiosity.

But all of them saw understanding in those eyes.

Asta knows more than he seems to know, sometimes.

They're all aware.

Some of them shrugged, and said, 'we don't know what that means at all.'

The ones who did know (or at least seemed to) seemed interested in his explanation anyways.

So he hummed and leaned back, readying himself to speak words he hadn't spoken since that day with Yuno; an explanation he hadn't touched in ages.

"Well...it's like...no matter what you do, it's ok, as long as you get to your goal. Like...think of life...as a path. And there's a...light at the end of it." He waved his hand around and looked at the ceiling.

He wasn't smiling.

"You decide to cut down all the trees in your way, or even little rocks, just to make it easier. Maybe it's rocky and terrible and everyone hates it, but you float above it, saying, 'hey, nice and easy'."

He looked at them.

His smile was wry, and old.

"That phrase means, 'whatever I do, it's ok, because it's to get to that light'."

He laughed, and it was hollow.

"I don't agree with it. Not one bit."

His eyes grew distant, and his smile flattened out.

"Never have."

He sighed and shook his head, like he was shaking off the bitterness those words left him with, and he smiled at them.

It wasn't as bright as it usually is.

"Anyways, I've just been thinking about it a lot for a long time now, and I wanted to know how you guys thought it fit into..." He looked down at the table in front of him, seeming to glance a bit at Gauche and Luck.  
"...everything."

They took a moment to get their bearings, before Noelle took a breath. "That's...surprisingly insightful from someone like _you,_ Bakasta...but…" She uncrossed her arms and looked away. "I...think I get what you mean. Nobles and...royals like myself will do anything to up their status." That excellent fire entered her eyes again as she whipped her head up and looked Asta in the eyes. "But you're right. I've never once agreed that you should do anything harmful to get your way in the world."

Finral nodded, smile a little warm and a little sad. "It honestly amazes me how many mature conclusions you've seemed to come to sometimes, Asta, but you're not wrong."

Vanessa giggled light-heartedly as she slung an arm behind Finral's shoulders, nodding. "Expected from our little star! But if your means need to be justified, then what's the point of them in the first place?"

Gauche glanced over from his spot in a corner, tentatively throwing in, "I've done some shit in my life for important reasons, but...there aren't many situations where that should apply." His eyes narrowed a little bit. His parents' deaths. "Barely any."

Luck nodded enthusiastically. "If you're gonna do bad things on the way to being strong, then what's the point?"

Magna slammed a fist against the table next to Asta and pulled him into a side-armed hug. "Yeah!! No point in walking a road if you're just gonna dirty it with muddy feet, right?"

"M-Magna, that was very insightful, but surprisingly right!!" Grey stuttered quietly.

Gordon couldn't be heard over the noise, sadly, but he was surely agreeing with them all.

Eventually, Luck and Magna started a fight and Hell broke loose same as it always does, but Asta couldn't wipe a smile off his face.

Even the ones he didn't hear say it themselves, he knew.

Yeah. These guys were good.

Even Yami wandered over and patted him gently on the shoulder. (Yes, _gently,_ that's how you know it's extra real.) "You've got some real good insight, kid. And yeah." He grinned. "No point in completing your goal if you had to justify what you were doin' along the way, right?"

Asta nodded, smile bright. "Right!"

The ends don't justify the means.

A phrase that would hopefully soon be the _real_ truth of their kingdom.

Asta could almost see it marching on its own path.

People like these were the ones to push it forward, he knew it.

**Author's Note:**

> Vanessa called Asta the Black Bulls' 'Little star' in the lil tournament arc thing for deciding the Royal Knights and I am Never Forgetting  
> It's cute and like,,,,,,,,Perfect, I'm using it at every opportunity and no one can stop me


End file.
